B&O M53 Round-Roof (Wagon Top) Boxcar?

Depending on the era, the Weaver cars seemed to have been painted in different colors, and definitely different lettering schemes. Also, good luck on finding correct B&O decals!

Bob,

Rails Unlimited still has the B&O M53 decals.  Look down toward the middle of page 2:

http://railsunlimited.ribbonra...G%20_STOCK_03-13.pdf

ChipR

Thanks Chip!  I can always see if Jerry Glow would make a set if these don't pan out.

Any idea on paint color?  From what I've read C&O painted them a true red vice oxide red.

Northern Central has sets of the old Champ B&O decals.

http://www.northerncentralsupply.com/champdc.html

Thanks Jim!

Northern Central Supply is out of the decals (I guess that's what the big X means), so I need to contact Rails Unlimited or Jerry Glow.

What would be the dates for these cars:

Bob,

I fair amount of information is available on the B&O historical society website.

Below is an image showing the paint/lettering schemes for freight cars which includes the M53 boxcars.

Thanks for the diagram!

Of the 2, I like the one with the large B&O the best, always liked those billboard type lettering schemes.

I've downloaded all their mags that are downloadable, but didn't come across this diagram.

I knew I had seen something on these cars before...our beloved, departed "Chessieman" (may he rest in peace) posted this back in 2004:

There has been a lot of discussion regarding the M53 amongst B&O modelers. Here is the latest information.

Subject: Lettering Scheme for Weaver B&O Wagontop Boxcars

Many of you have asked about the lettering schemes being offered by Weaver on his upcoming Wagontop Box Cars. I’ll admit that my eyes glaze over looking at all of this detail so if anything seems to miss the mark, let me know.


First a Discussion about Color: (I copied a discussion from Jim Mischke on the B&O yahoo group)

B&O freight car brown came first, then bright oxide red in 1945-47

(2) This B&O freight car brown is nothing like the common model color "boxcar brown." It is a medium dark brown. Like polished brown boots. Kiwi brown shoe polish. Per the 1940 Circular F-60-H, the "Freight Car Brown" paint is mixed locally per Spec. 43-H-1. That seems to leave room for variation. It was also painted on cabooses.

The best we can tell, the bright red oxide paint was introduced at ABOUT the same time as the linking 13 great states herald. The herald memo is dated 6-25-45. Still looking for the paint memo. First mention in the known B&O memo trail of the bright red is "Freight Car Red, stock number F-60" in Circular F-60-I dated 5/1/54, much later.

Now the Lettering: (B&O HS Chris Barkan)

Attached is a diagram of 10 Lettering Arrangements with dates for the general era that each was used. Notice that many of them say "early 1940" or "late 1957" so they aren't by day or month. And these are meant to show when the Lettering Arrangement was applied; the last date that any car was on the railroad with that lettering is anybody's guess. That is why so many people publish picture books.

For our purpose I'll refer to the Lettering Diagrams as Left Column 1 through 5 and Right Column 6 through 10; i.e. L-3 or R-6.

You will need a Weaver Catalog page 3 or the Web page;
BR= Boxcar Red or in B&O terms Freight Car Brown;
WMR= Bright Red or in B&O terms bright red oxide paint
◄= Dead On

Weaver Color Lettering
Cat #
G23000 BR L-1 1920s - Late 1937 (but the Weaver doesn’t show the B&O over the Number on Left side- that may get corrected) NEW 11/1937. This is probably not an M-53 lettering scheme. More likely an M-15 wagontop scheme with no herald. Needs B&O initals.

G23001◄ BR L-2 Late 1937 - Early 1940 "Early Kuhler" Dead on. NEW 4/1938.
 
G23002◄ WMR L-5 mid 1945 - Mid 1946 "Early 13 Great States" Dead on. EC (East Chicago reweigh) 9/1952.
 
G23003◄ BR L-5 mid 1945 - Mid 1946 "Early 13 Great States" Dead on. EC (East Chicago) 10/1945.
 
G23004◄ WMR R-6 mid 1946 - Mid 1955 "Post War 13 Great States" Dead on. BW (Brunswick MD) 8/1953.
 
G23005 WMR R-7 variation on Mid 1955 - Late 1957 "Billboard 13 Great States" (the diagram doesn’t show the small B&O between the BIG B&O and the car number; probably later in time than 1955. The 1957 and later show the BIG and small B&O. WA (Washington IN) 12/1959.

G23006◄ WMR R-7 mid 1955 - Late 1957 "Billboard 13 Great States" Dead on. DU (DuBois PA) 12/1956.
 
G23007 WMR Variation on R-7 through 9; generally Late 1957 – 1962 and closer to 1960-62. BW (Brunswick MD) 2/1963.

So, Bright Red Oxide sounds like a match, now to find some.

I could just leave these 2 MTH cars alone and buy 2 Weaver cars, but that would STILL leave these 2 MTH cars as a pair of albatrosses that I don't want.

Bob,

I used the decals from Rails Unlimited on my St Charles Model Works M53.  Most excelent.

ChipR

Chip, does the set contain all 3 schemes or do they have 3 separate sets?

Thanks Dave, nice build you did by the way

I have a decal set. It looks to me like one set would do 3 cars, one in each scheme. The small capital dome emblem and the larger 13 great states emblem are both included along with the large B&O. There are 3 sets of capy/ld lmt/lt wt data and 3 sets of dimensional data.

Larry Kline

Thanks Larry!

I have a set coming from an ex-OGR forumite (wish he would start posting again) and I've got an email in to Rails Unlimited, so I should be good if I can get a good paint match.